Filing system



Dec. 14 1926. 1,610,525

v w. HOGE FILING SYSTEM Original Filed June 9, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet l Inuenfov wi ogL W. HOGE FILING SYSTEM Original Filed June 9, 1924 2 Sheets sheet 2 l @M22 @L M Patented Dec. 14, 1926.

' UNITED vs"if-xr-as PATENT OFFICE.

WILL HOGE, OF MUSKEGON, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR T0 BROWNE-MORSE COMPANY, OF

Musxnson, Niemann, a coRronA'rIcn or 'MICHIGAN FILING SYSTEM.

Application filed June 9, 1324, Serial No. 718,635. Renewed April 1G, 1926.

This invention relates to filing systems of the type using cards which may be arranged in drawers, boxes or the like, for containing various items such as correspondence, bills, invoices or other papers for reference.

The present invention has for one of its objects and purposes the provision of means for the ready tiling of such data properl place, eliminating any reference to a separate index for the proper location of any matter tiled or to be filed, the system itself supplying all data necessary for this purpose A further object of the invention is to Aprovide a simple and efficient system wherein possibility of `expansion is had thus avoiding any necessity of revision of the system frequently; to provide a system which enables one to file with certaintyand at the proper place irrespective of the fact that some surnames are very common and are liable to become mixed and confused in many ordinary systems; and to provide many other features of advantage as will more fully appear as understanding of the invention is had from the following description, taken in connection with the aecompanying drawings, in which,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a suiiicient number of a set of cards of the system to illustrate the invention.

Fig. 2 is a like viewshowing different matters filed in relation to the cards.

Like reference characters refer to like parts in the l,different figures of vthe drawmfr.

I have illust-rated one unit of the. system, it being understood that as many units may be used as required for a complete ling system in their alphabetical order. The cards making up the system are usually placed in filing drawers. At the front of each unit what may be termed a key card 1 is located. Back of it are other cards 2 and 3 dividing the unit into three divisions. Each of the cards 1, 2 and 3 is formed with a relatively wide tab 4, the tab occupying all of the width of the card excepting a short section at lthe left which is cut away. The front card 1 has its tab 4 vdivided into three sections, indicated at 5. The first one on the tab 4 of card 1 carries the indicating characters .ev-B, the second section the indicating` character C, and the third section the indicatingcharacters D-F. Card 2 has the indicating characters Gr-H, I-J, and K-M on its three sections; and card 3 has the characters N-R, S-T and VU-#Zon its three sections as shown.

At the upper left corner of the card 1 a tab'holder 6 of sheet metal is permanently secured having an opening through which the indicating character on the insert 8 therein may be seen from the front. Cards 2 and 3 are likewise equipped with metal tab holders .6a and 6b of similar form. In the showing made the character Ba-Bd appears on the'insert associated with the card'i1, indicating that thisis the keyindicating character of the surnames or primary names of the different folders carried between the cards back of the key card of the unit or until the next key card .of the succeeding unit is reached, in this case being indicated by the character Be (not shown). Each key card 1, 2 or 3, with the `folders 7 therein back of it, forms what will be referred to as a division of the entire system. vA numeral, such as 4 also appears on the insert of card, indicative of the number of thel first division in this unit of the system, and numerals 5 and 6 appear on cards 2 and'to indicate the number of the other divisions.

Between cards 1 and 2, three folders 9, n

10 and 11 are located one behind the other and in front of the folder 9 a fourth folder 12 is placed, its back side having an upwardly extending tab 13 located directly behind the metal tab 6 lon card 1 and bearing the characters a- *d 4, as shown. The folders 9, 10 and 11 are similarly provided with upwardly extending tabs 14, 15 and 16, tab 14 being directly back of the first section of the tab 4 on card 1 and bearing the characters a Bd A-B 4; tab 15 directly back of the second section and bearing the characters Bad C 4; and tab 16 di# rectl-y back of the third section of tab 4 on card 1 and bearing the characters B21-Bd Del41 4. In like manner sets of folders 9, 10 and 11 are located between cards 2 and 3 and back of card 3 with tabs 14, 15a and 16?L on the folders between cards 2 and 3, and with tabs 14', 15b and 16b on the folders back of card 8. Tab 14a carries characters Bft-Bd G-H 5, tab 15-1 the characters Ba-Bd I--J 5, and tab 16a the characters BU-Bd K-M 5. Also tab 14h carries characters Ba-Bd N-R G, tab 15b the characters B- d S-T 6 and 16b the characters B21- Bd U-Z 6. 1t will be noticed that the characters on all of the tabs have a common key character, a-BQ then follows the character on the respective section of a tab t behind which it is directly located, and then a numeral to indicate which division of the system it should occupy, either f1, 5 `or G, it being understood that the succeeding unit will start off with a. first division number 7. The folders 9, 10 and 11 may be of a distinctive color, and the folder 12 of a different color.

In addition to the folders 9, 10 and 11 and 12, auxiliary folders, as indicated at 17, 18, 19 and 20, Fig. 2, may be used in conjunction with the thr folders of each division and may have indicating slips cemented or otherwise secured thereto, as indicated at 21, 22, 23 and 2&1 on which may be printed the names of different companies, individuals, or headings for different b lanches of a business, each of which may be of sufficient importance to merit a separate filing holder for the matters relating thereto. 1n the folders 9, 10 and 11 and 12, called miscellaneous folders, matters to be filed may be placed ther-ein which relate to many different coinpanies, individuals or the like but which are so few for each company or individual as not to merit an individual folder. lt is designed that the slips 21, 22, 23 and 2-/1- shall be of a striking color contrastingl strongly with the color of the folder on which it is attached so as to be very readily discernible at any time.

lVith this construction of filing system, papers, bills, invoices and the like may be very readily filed and as readily found when needed. For instance, th-e folder 12 may contain matters coming under the general h dings which start with the letters Ba, and if there is any special matter which is not to be filed in the general file, it may be given a special folder or file, as indicated at 1?. rlhis folder is designated as the"Banking folder, having but one word for its name and thus coming under none of the subdivisions in which the naine is a compound of two or more words, initials or the like, and which are filed in folders back of the proper subdivision 5 on the cards 1, 2 and 3. `Where the designating name is a single word it is filed directly back of the card 1, either in the general folder 12 or a special folder, as 17, where the circumstances warrant the making of special folders.

TWhere the name under which the matter to he filed is a compound word, the surname er principal name of which starts with Bil or something between Ba and Bd, then the second word, a Christian name, initials, or the like govern the place in the system where it is to be filed. For instance, in Fig. 2, back of the first section designated AMB of th-e card 1, appears the general folder 9 having a tab 111 and directly back thereof is tl e slip 22 carrying the name Barker Bros.

That is, the first name is controlling as to which unit the matter shall be filed in, in this case the unit the key card f which carries the general characters Ba-Bd. The second name, having initial letter B designates that it shall be placed back of the scction in which the letter B occurs. Of course, if the second name or initial began with or was A it would go in the same place in the file as the first section 5 covers the letters A and B. 1n the general folder 9 all matters to be filed are placed which come under the key characters as to first names and in which the second names, initials or the like begin with A or B, and the special folders, where the amount of matter to be tiled requires a special folder, lie back of the general folder and in front of the succeeding general folder which has its tab 15 directly back of the section 5 of thc card which carries the designating character C.

The other general and special folders are similarly located back of the section 5 of card 1 carrying'the designating characters DMF, and in the same manner the system may be continued back of the card 2 with its three subdivisions with designating characters, and back of the card 3 with its three like subdivisions or sections 5. rlhe construction permits one at a glance to determine where matter is to be filed or where it is filed, knowing the name under which it should be filed. The cards 1, 2 and 3, by reason of their construction determine the place and indicate the place where the matters under the general designation of the unit should be placed to correspond with the specific subdivisions into which the unit may be divided in accordance with the alphabetical first letters of the second names or initials of the heads under which the matters are filed, the first names corresponding to the general unit designation. This obviates any special index to which a reference has to be made, the cards 1, 2 and 3 themselves furnishing such index in effect. The complete system includes a number of units, the showing of one being sufficient for all. The appended claims define the invention and it is to be considered that all constructions coming within the scope of such claims are comprehended by the invention.

I claim:

1. A filing system including a filing unit, said unit including a set of division guide cards, each having a tab thereon extending upwardly for the greater part of the width of the card, each tab being divided into a plurality of sections, each carrying alphabetical indicating characters, and a set of folders between the different cards, each folder having a tab extending upwardly therefrom with the tab on a folder directly back of one of the sections of the card in front thereof and carrying characters corresponding to the alphabetical characters of said section, substantially as described.

Q. A construction containing the elements in combination defined in claim l, combined with an indicating tab attached to each of said cards at one end of the first-mentioned tab thereon and 'ai-rying a division-indicating character thereon.

3. In a filing system, a guide card having a tab at its upper edge extending the major portion of the width of the card, said tab being divided into a plurality of sections which lie in alineinent, each section carrying an alphabetical indicating character.

4. In a filing system, a plurality of guide cards each card havingl a tab at its upper edge extending the major portion of the width of the card, each tab being divided into a plurality of sections and each section carrying indicating characters comprising letters of the alphabet, all of the said characters on the tabs in the plurality of cards comprising the range of the entire alphabet.

5. In a filing system, a unit including a front card having an upwardly projecting tab extending the major portion of the width of the card, and a second tab extending` upwardly from the card at the end ofthe first tab. said second tab being adapted to have removable inserts connected therewith on which an indicatingl character serving as a key to the unit may be printed, and said first tab being divided into a plurality of sections, each carrying characters of the alphabet, and two additional cards, each also having a wide upwardly projecting tab positioned at the same relative position on each card that the first tab occupies with respect to its card, and also being divided into sections each of which carries letters of the alphabet, the range of the characters on the three tabs on the three cards being the entire range of the alphabet, substantially as described.

6. In a filing system, the elements in combination defined in claim 5, combined with a single folder directly back of the first card and provided with an upstanding tab directly back of the second tab on said first card and carrying corresponding indicating characters, and three additional folders between said single folder and the second card and a like number between the second, and third cards, each folder having a tab thereon located directly back of a section of the tabs on the said cards and staggered with respect to each other, substantially as described.

7. In a filing system, a front key card carrying means to indicate the unit of the system to which the same appertains, said card also having three separate indicating means at spaced-apart intervals near the upper edge of the card, a second and a third card located back of the key card, each liliewise carrying three separate indicating means at spaced-apart intervals near their upper edges, said indicating means comprising letters of the alphabet, and ranging from the first letter thereof on the first section of the first card to the last letter of the alphabet on the last section of the last card.

8. In a filing system unit, a front card having1 a unit indicating character thereon, additional cards in the unit, said front card and additional cards carrying alphabetical indicating characters at spaced-apart intervals in their width at their upper edges, the range of the alphabet being covered from the first said alphabetical character on the first card to the last character on the last card, and folders adapted to Ibe located between the cards and carrying indicating characters corresponding` to the unit indication and additional characters corresponding to the alphabetical indicating characters on the card in front thereof and in direct rear alinement therewith.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

WILL HOGE. 

